Car-coupling



(No Model.)

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W Viv INVENTOR M/ .11 torney UNTTEE STATES PATENT UEEIQE.

\VILLIAM S. MEAD, OF SPENCER, INDIANA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION iorming part of Letters Patent No. 318.777, dated May 26, 1885.

Application filed April 22, 1985.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. MEAD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Spencer, in the county of Owen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved car-coupling. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a side view showing two draw'heads in position for coupling.

The same letters referto the same parts in all the figures.

This invention relates to car-couplings; and it has for its object to providea device of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings hereto annexed, A designates the draw-head, which is attached in the usual manner to the end of the car, a portion of which is shown at B. The said draw head is formed on its upper side with a pair of rearWardly-extending lugs or lips, G and D, forming seats E and F, which are rounded, as will be plainly seen in the drawings, for the reception of the coupling-link and the coupling-rod, the construction and arrangement of which will be presently more fully described. The front lug, O, is beveled on top for the reception of the link, and the rear seat, F, is provided at its rear end or edge with a beveled shoulder, Gr, against which the couplingrod is seated, so as to prevent its displacement when the cars come together for the purpose of coupling.

H designates the coupling-link, which is made of such a width as to enable its sides to pass easily around the sides of the draw-head.

(No model.)

The rear end of the link is firmly connected with the central portion of the transverse bar I, which constitutes the coupling rod, and which forms a rock-shaft seated in the bearing F, and which serves as a bearing for the said link and shaft.

The ends of the coupling rod or shaft I are provided with arms or handles J J, the outer ends of which are provided with transverse perforations K K for the admission of pins L L, which are suitably attached, by means of chains, ropes, or other flexible connections, to the ends of the car. It will be seen that by manipulating the handles J, which extend to the sides of the car, a brakeman may conven iently operate the coupling without necessity of going between the cars, and the pins L may, when desired, be passed through the perforations K and into suitable openings or recesses in the car-frame, thus serving, when desired, to retain the coupling-links in an elevated po sition, and thereby prevent the cars from coupling when they come in contact with each other when both links are raised, or causing the cars to be coupled when only one link is raised, as the case may be.

Attached to the sill of the car, which is designated by letter P, are a pair of hooks or staples, Q, Q, the upper front ends of which are open, and the rear lower ends of which serve as bearings for the ends of the shaft I, the ends of which are thereby prevented from dropping down, so as to cause the link to be displaced from its bearings.

The front end of the draw-head is provided with a longitudinal recess or opening, S, adapted for the reception of an ordinary couplinglink, and the upper and lower sides of which are perforated for the reception of a couplingpin, as shown at T T, thereby enabling cars having my improved coupling to be connected with cars having the ordinary oldfashioned pin-and-link coupling.

For the purpose of raising or lifting the link of my improved car-coupling, so as to make connection with the next car, or for the purpose of uncoupling when the operator is stationed on top of the car, I employ simply a rope, cord, or chain, U, the lower end of which carries a hook, V, which may have two or more prongs, which may easily be caused to catch the link, which may thus be raised, lowered, or held stationary, as the case may require.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood. In order to effect a coupling, the link of one of the cars is to be raised and the link of the next car is to be lowered to the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the cars come together, the link of one car is dropped over the drawhead of the other, thus effecting the coupling Without the necessity of any person going between the cars. The uncoupling may likewise be performed without going between the cars, either by manipulating the shaft I by one of its handles J, or from the top of the car by means of the hook V, herein described, which, being portableand inexpensive, may be readily carried from one place to another, and dispenses with the necessity of any permanent attachment to the cars.

Having thus described myinvention Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States 1. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided on its upper side with a pair of rearwardly-extending lugs or lips, a rock-shaft mounted in the bearing formed by the rear lip, and having a forwardly-extending link, forwardly-extending perforated arms at the ends of said rock-shaft, and pins adapted to connect said arms with the body of the car, so as to retain the link in a raised position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-head provided on its upper side with a pair of rearwardly-extending lips or lugs, a beveled shoulder formed in rear of the rear lip or lug, a transverse shaft mounted in the bearing thus formed, and provided with a forwardly-extending link, and the staples arranged and adapted to support the ends of the transverse coupling-rod or rock-shaft, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affiXed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM S. MEAD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS A. PEDEN, EDGAR G. STEELE. 

